2008 Baylor Bears Basketball Predictions & Season Preview

Written October 7, 2008 by Jack Jones

Last year the Baylor basketball team enjoyed unprecedented success, and with their top five scorers back there is no reason to think they aren’t ready to repeat and improve on that performance. Head coach Scott Drew has turned this program around, as evidenced by their 21-11 record and 9-7 mark in the Big 12, their first winning season since joining the conference. The Bears made the NCAA basketball tournament for the first time since 1988, but they aren’t going to have to wait another 20 years as we see them dancing again this March. You can win $8,000 for every $100 bet on Baylor to win the national title at BetUS. Even if you don’t like those college basketball odds, this is a team to watch for.

Kevin Rogers was the star of the frontcourt last year when he averaged 12.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. With another year of development under his belt, we expect those numbers to be even higher this season. He should get some more help this year by a pair of newcomers. Artem Valov comes over from Three Rivers CC where he was a major contributor on the team that went to the national championship. Freshman Anthony Jones is a top-50 recruit who was sought after by a lot of top tier schools. Mamadou Diene and Josh Lomers are both seven feet tall and will help with shot blocking and rebounding.

The Baylor backcourt is one of the best in the nation and should be ready to carry this team even further than they did in 2007-08. Curtis Jerrells is coming off a 15.3 points and 3.8 assists per game junior season. Even though the strong guard does a great job of getting to the lane, he worked hard this offseason to improve both his shot from the outside and his defense. Henry Dugat shoots the ball well from beyond the arc and is quick even to shut down almost any opposing guard. LaceDarius Dunn is one of the best sixth men in the country, coming off the bench to average 13.6 points a game while shooting 42% from 3-point range. This could be a team you look to bet on this year, and BetUS is the place to do it with their 145% signup bonus offer.

Final Analysis – 3rd in our Big 12 Basketball Predictions

This team has the experience to compete with the big boys in the Big 12 conference, but they need to do a better job on the defensive end of the floor. That seems to have been the focus in the offseason, so if they can translate that hard work to results on the floor then they have a shot at winning the conference title. We do see them winning a couple of games in the NCAA tournament instead of just being happy to be there like last March.

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